


The Sea Prince: a due South fairy tale

by laylee



Category: Den lille havfrue | The Little Mermaid - Andersen, due South
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 13:54:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylee/pseuds/laylee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is very much an AU. I humbly offer my deepest gratitude and most sincerest apologies to Hans Christian Andersen whose far superior original story, <i>The Little Mermaid</i>, inspired this.</p><p>Please note that while I'm warning for character death, if you're at all familiar with the original story (and I don't mean the Disney film of a few years ago) you'll know that it's okay.</p>
    </blockquote>





	The Sea Prince: a due South fairy tale

**Author's Note:**

> This is very much an AU. I humbly offer my deepest gratitude and most sincerest apologies to Hans Christian Andersen whose far superior original story, _The Little Mermaid_, inspired this.
> 
> Please note that while I'm warning for character death, if you're at all familiar with the original story (and I don't mean the Disney film of a few years ago) you'll know that it's okay.

**O**nce upon a time there lived under the sea a young Sea Prince named Benton. Benton was the son of a great the Sea King, Robert, who ruled a vast realm in the cold northern sea. Many of the sea folk found the northern realm to be cruel and inhospitable. But Benton loved his home and saw only beauty in its deep crevasses, jagged rocks, and the hidden grottoes.

Benton was the King's only son, his mother having died when he was very young, and he was raised by his grandmother and the members of his fathers' court. His father was very busy with affairs of state and Benton accepted that he couldn't always spend as much time with his son as Benton would like. Thus Benton's days were spent keeping his half-sister, Maggie, company and studying with his tutor, Frobisher. As he grew into manhood, Benton would roam further and further away from his home, learning the languages of the all creatures that lived side-by-side with the peoples of the sea and making friends with the inhabitants of the most extreme corners of the realm.

On one such excursion, he found a dolphin calf, stranded in a particularly inhospitable valley. The calf's mother was dead and her baby had been trapped among the sharp rocks and boulders. Benton cleared a path and tried to coax the calf from its hiding place by offering it some food. The calf was about to emerge when the rocks and boulders began to shake. Suddenly the calf darted at Benton, knocking him out of way just as a fall of rocks tumbled from an unstable outcrop. When he regained his senses, Benton saw the calf hovering anxiously near by. No longer afraid, the calf swam up to Benton and nudged him with his nose. Benton ran a hand along the calf's sleek back and pronounced that they would always be friends. The calf signalled his consent by following Benton back to his home. Benton named the calf Diefenbaker and they became constant companions.

By the time he had reached maturity, Benton had grown into a very handsome young prince. His skin was as fair as that of the most lustrous pearl, his hair dark like the night sky, and his eyes were the same fathomless blue-grey as the deepest point of the ocean. Like all sea people, Benton possessed a magnificent tail, luminous with its red and gold scales and tapering to a magnificent fin that allowed him to cut through the ocean with enormous speed and power. But his crowning glory was his voice that was rivaled by none in its power and glory.

Because he was the prince and very beautiful to behold, he began to attract the eye of many eligible young females in his father's court. But he was very shy and hardly knew how to address them without blushing and stammering. The other young men of his age would jest and laugh with the young maidens during courtly festivities, but Benton would find himself tongue-tied and overcome with nerves. Quite often Benton would find any excuse not to attend these gatherings, preferring instead to spend time with Frobisher, Maggie and Diefenbaker. But as he grew older and his royal duties increased, Benton found himself unable to refuse. To protect himself, he cultivated an air of royal reserve, all the while wishing he had the courage to join in with the fun. It was only when he was asked to sing that Benton would drop his reserve and he spent many enjoyable evenings entertaining the court with his fine voice.

Like many sea people his age, Benton was curious about the world above. He and Diefenbaker would eagerly explore the wrecks of the great ships which the storms had cast to the seabed, and delight in the treasures obtained from these vessels. He had made some short trips to the surface with his tutor and sometimes he and his friends would challenge each other to swim as close to the shore as they dared, but they never lingered very long. These short visits only served to wet Benton's appetite to travel to the world above and he longed for more.

"When you are older," his father would say, "then you can learn about the world above."

"Have you spent much time there, father?" Benton would ask.

"Enough to know that it is no place for us sea dwellers," his father replied. "The people who live there, they are not like us Benton. They walk upon the land with legs and they cannot abide the water like we do."

Benton could not understand how anyone could not wish to live beneath the sea. How they could not find it the most beautiful place on earth. None-the-less he continued to ask his father if he could spend more time in the world above, arguing that he needed to understand every part of the ocean if he was to be an effective ruler. King Robert would reluctantly consent to these excursions, but only if Benton did not neglect his royal duties. And he was warned to never let himself be seen by the humans who live on the land.

One day when Benton had travelled to the world above with only Diefenbaker for company, he ventured closer to the land than ever before. It was a bright and beautiful day. The sea was calm, the air mild and the sun warm against his skin. While Diefenbaker splashed about in the waves and chased tiny fishes, Benton found a reef of rocks where he could rest without being seen from the shore. With the tip of his tail dangling in the water to keep it moist, he sang nonsense songs to himself and dozed in the warmth of the sun. He was almost asleep when he felt something tug at his tail. Benton opened his eyes to see Diefenbaker with his fin in his mouth. He was about to scold the dolphin for interrupting his day dreams when he spied something out of the corner of his eye.

Benton leapt into the water just as the most magnificent ship he had ever seen sailed into view. It was not one of the great ships that made the long journeys between continents. Rather it was low and sleek, richly decorated with inlay and panelling, its sails adorned with golden suns painted onto the canvass. Across the deck were strung streamers and colourful paper lanterns that danced in the breeze. Benton could hear music and laughter and the rich sent of food and wine filled his nostrils.

Edging as close to the ship as he dared, Benton spied the well-dressed people mingling on the deck. They sipped wine from crystal goblets that sparked in the sun, danced to the music that flowed through the air and laughed at a jester performing conjuring tricks near the stern. It was a sight so mesmerising that he almost forgot his father's warning about staying hidden from the land dwellers.

Benton was caught by a strong wave and lifted him up so he could see more of the deck and its occupants. Among them was the guest of honour, whom he knew to be the son of the Duke who governed the land beyond the sea. With his golden hair and luminous blue yes, Benton thought him to be the fairest creature he had even laid eyes upon. Then the Duke's son smiled and Benton knew that nothing in the world could be so amazing.

Feeling greatly daring, Benton followed the ship as it made its way along the coast and back again. So caught up was he in observing the Duke's son and his guests that he barely noticed when day turned into night and they lit the coloured lanterns so the party could continue. Diefenbaker had long ago swum off in boredom, but Benton could not take his eyes of the ship or the beautiful man whose party he watched in fascination.

After a while the sea began to grow rough and the stars became hidden behind a bank of dark, heavy clouds. Lightening split the sky as a dreadful storm rolled in. The party was abandoned and the guests hid from the rain and mountainous waves below the deck. Benton tried to keep up as the ship groaned and creaked, and the sailors scrambled to keep it from capsizing. But the storm, so sudden in its fury, made the going very hard. Benton was forced to dive deep beneath the surface as the storm's intensity increased tenfold.

At length, Benton deemed it safe to return to the surface and he was greatly saddened at the sight that greeted him. The ship, its finery torn to shreds by the storm, lay on its side, with guests and crew clinging to any piece of debris they could latch onto in order to stay afloat. Benton surveyed the wreckage with a heavy heart, for he could not see the Duke's son among the survivors. Then he remembered seeing a spark of gold drifting downward as he rose to the surface.

Panic gripped his heart because he knew that the Duke's son could not live beneath the ocean as he could. Diving quickly, Benton searched among the wreckage until he spied the pale hair of the Duke's son. He limbs were failing him and his beautiful eyes were closed and he surely would have died if Benton had not come to his assistance.

Taking the Duke's son by the shoulders, Benton covered his mouth with his own and blew much needed air into his lungs. When the Duke's son did not immediately respond, Benton once again offered him the gift of air. This time the gift was received and the beautiful blue eyes flew open, staring at Benton in wonder.

Tearing his eyes away from that intense gaze, Benton began to swim them both toward the surface, not stopping until they had broken through to the oxygen that the Duke's son needed so badly. The storm had abated somewhat, and Benton kept his arms around the Duke's son, ensuring that he kept his head above water, even though his eyes were once again closed.

By morning the storm had blown its self out, and Benton and the Duke's son had drifted far from the wreckage of the ship. Benton looked at the man he had held above the surface of the water all night long, kissed his forehead and willed him to open his eyes just so he could gaze into their beautiful blue depths one last time.

As the sun rose and warmed the water, Benton could see land in the distance and he knew that that was where the Duke's son needed to be. He struck out toward it, cutting through the water with his mighty tail. As they drew closer to the land, Benton saw mountains tipped with white clouds and a forest of deepest green. Set near the edge of the forest was a tall white building with an even taller tower, but Benton could not tell its purpose from such a great distance.

They were in a small bay, he realised, and Benton let the perpetual momentum of the sea carry them onto a beach of fine sand where he dragged the Duke's son above the tide mark. He had not opened his eyes since Benton gave him air and he looked like a statue made out of the finest marble. It was only the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed that told Benton that he was still alive.

Benton gazed tenderly at the Duke's son and kissed him one last time. He wished that he could stay with him until he was sure he was safe, but he could not risk being discovered by the surface dwellers. Instead, he swam to some high rocks which rose out of the water and positioned himself so he could keep watch without being seen from the shore.

Presently Benton saw a group of people approach the beach and he waited to see what would become of the Duke's son. It was not long before someone spied his drenched finery. A girl with fair hair caught in a long braid detached herself from the group and went to investigate. The girl was uncertain at first, but she soon fetched others from her group and Benton sighed in relief when he saw them raise the Duke's son into a sitting position and he finally opened his eyes. The Duke's son smiled at those who stood around him, but to Benton he cast no smile because he did not know that the Sea Prince had rescued him.

Benton waited until they had taken the Duke's son from the beach and carried him into the white building. When he though it safe to do so, he ventured back to the beach and swam up and down the shore for a while, hoping to catch one final glimpse of the man who had captivated him so. But the Duke's son did not reappear, even when a bell in the tower began to ring out. It was with a heavy heart that Benton turned from the shore and began the arduous journey back to his home in the Northern Sea.

It took Benton the remainder of the day and most of the night to return to his home. Diefenbaker and Maggie were overjoyed to see him, but his father was less than pleased that he had stayed away for such a long period of time. Benton apologised and explained how he had been carried away by the storm. He said nothing about the Duke's son with the beautiful blue eyes. Robert seemed to accept the explanation, but cautioned Benton to watch out for storms and not venture so far from home again.

If Benton had been quiet and thoughtful before his encounter with the Duke's son, in the time that followed that meeting he became even more so. He would spend many hours in silent contemplation, shunning all attempts to draw him out. His heart was so heavy with loss and longing that even his faithful Diefenbaker could not distract him.

Winter came and finally Benton could bear the weight of his sorrow no more. One day he sought out Frobisher, and told him of the ship and the party; of the coloured lanterns and the beauty of blue eyes. Frobisher listened patiently, letting Benton finish his story without interruption. When Benton's words petered out, Frobisher looked at him thoughtfully, stroking his chin as he absorbed the story. Finally he offered Benton his hand.

"Come," Frobisher said, and lead Benton away from the palace to a place he had never been to before.

When they eventually rose to the surface, Benton found himself in a small harbour where a magnificent castle stood on the waters' edge, overlooking the sea and the town that lay before it.

"Your happiness has always been important to me, my Prince," Frobisher said and Benton realised that this must be where the Duke and his son lived. He felt such love for Frobisher for bringing him there that he put his arms around the old merman and kissed his grizzled head.

After that day, Benton would steal whenever he could away to watch the castle. He never shirked his royal duties, but any free time he had was spent in the harbour, gazing at the castle's richly appointed rooms through its tall, arched windows. At first Diefenbaker would accompany him, but he soon grew tired of Benton's solitary vigil and informed him that he would prefer to remain at the palace. Benton accepted that Diefenbaker followed him by his own choice and did not press the matter. Instead, he made the journey alone and each night he would edge closer and closer to the shore in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the Duke's son.

One night at the beginning of spring, Benton was finally rewarded for his patience when the Duke's son appeared on the balcony overlooking the harbour. His hair was glided bright gold in the light of the torches set about, and Benton's heart swelled with the simple joy of seeing the one he cared for. Hidden as he was in the shadows, Benton watched the Duke's son for as long as he stood on the balcony, remembering how his head had rested against his chest and the taste of his lips when Benton gave him air.

After many nights of watching the Duke's castle, Benton began to wonder what it would be like to walk on the ground; to go flying over the sea in a ship instead of swimming beneath the waves, and to climb to the highest peak of the distant mountains. He wondered what would happen if the Duke's son saw his face again and if he would remember it as that of his saviour from the storm.

Benton went to is grandmother who knew all about the world above, and asked her what humans were really like; if they lived as long as the sea folk and loved the same way they did. His grandmother replied that the only way to really know something was to experience it. She told him that humans did not live as long as the sea folk did, although unlike the sea folk, humans possessed an immortal soul that would flourish after their death.

This gave Benton much food for thought and for several nights he did not venture near the harbour. Instead, he locked himself away in his chambers and pondered the fate of humans and the fate of the sea folk. When the sea folk die, his grandmother told him, they become nothing but the foam on the shore. To posses a soul that would live long after the death of its host was something he could barely comprehend. Then he would think of blue eyes and sweet kisses in the depths of the ocean until finally he knew what he must do.

Benton had heard of Mab Thatcher, the sea witch who lived in a remote and inhospitable part of his father's realm. A place so terrible only sea snakes and groupers would venture there of their own free will. But Benton knew that he too must go there because the sea witch was the only one who could possibly grant him his heart's desire.

One night when everyone in the palace was asleep, Benton made his way to the place where no one dared to go. It was a long, treacherous journey and Benton was forced to contend with dangerous whirlpools and beds of stinging weeds along the way. The witch's house stood amidst a strange and horrible forest of misshapen trees with flowers that were tentacle-like polypi. The polypi would reach out and try to grab hold of anything that passed by them. And once they got hold of something, they never let go. Gathering all the courage he could summon, Benton darted between the trees with their pulsing polypi, ignoring the skeletons he saw caught in their sticky fingers and using his mighty tail to pushed his way through to the witch's house.

"Ho, who goes there," a voice called out as Benton drew near to the odd-shaped building.

"I am Benton, Prince of the Northern Sea," he replied. "I come to seek your counsel."

"And maybe a favour," the witch added as she appeared at her door. Benton had expected her to be old and gnarled, instead she was small and sleek, with short dark hair and large brown eyes. "Why do you wish to walk on the land, Benton of the Northern Sea?" she asked.

Benton faltered. How could she possibly know?

"Your reason for venturing to this terrible place is writ large across your face, my pretty prince," Mab continued. "And your wish is very stupid. Why are you not content with the freedom of the ocean? Why become tied to the dry and dusty land? You will find no happiness there if you do."

"Because there lives my heart's desire," Benton said.

Mab laughed a terrible laugh, "Very well, you foolish youngster. You shall have your hearts desire. But mark my words when I tell you that it will not lead you to the happiness you dream of."

"That is the risk I am willing to take."

"I will prepare a draught for you," Mab said. "Tomorrow morning before sunrise you must sit on the shore and drink it. Your tail will disappear and it will turn into what men call legs. You will still possess the same grace and fairness of face inherent in all the sea folk, and no human will stand in comparison to you. But remember this: when you have become human, you will no longer be of the sea folk. You will never again see your father's lands or sing the songs of your kin. And if the object of your desire does not return your love in full, does not give you his complete devotion as you would give yours, your heart will break. And at the following sunrise, with your heart broken, you will become nothing more than foam on the shore. Your immortality rests in his hands and his alone. Do you understand me, Benton of the Northern Sea?"

"Understood," Benton said as firmly as he could.

Mab nodded once. "Very well. I will take for my payment, and it is no small thing that I ask, your sweet, sweet voice, Benton of the Northern Sea. For it is the sweetest voice of all the sea folk and the most valuable thing in your possession. Do we have an agreement?"

"But if you take away my voice," Benton cried, "what will be left of me? How can I reveal my heart if I have no voice to express my feelings?"

"You will have your fair face, your expressive eyes and your beautiful countenance," Mab said. "That must be enough, because I will take payment in no other form. Are you now having second thoughts?"

Benton paused for just a moment before he said, "No, I am not. You shall have your payment."

Looking satisfied, Mab turned to her cauldron and began adding ingredients to it from various bottles and jars. As she stirred her brew, a strange dark smoke arose from the cauldron and a foul smell made Benton's nose twitch. But when the brew was finally ready and she poured it into a small glass bottle, the resulting liquid was a clear as water and smelt of nothing at all.

"It is done," Mab said and handed Benton the bottle. "I will take my payment now." She then placed her hand on Benton's throat and he felt a strange rushing sensation come over him. When it had passed, he opened his mouth to ask what had happened, only to find he could not make even the smallest sound.

"You must go now," Mab said and sent him on his way.

Benton made his way back to his father's palace, but he had no plans to linger there, for now he was mute and going to leave them forever. He looked in on his sleeping sister and father; his grandmother and Frobisher. Then he went to steal a glimpse of Diefenbaker and he was surprised to see that his faithful companion was waiting for him. It was obvious that Diefenbaker knew he was going and never to return.

I cannot tell you good bye, Benton thought forlornly as he stroked his hand over Diefenbaker's dorsal fin. He gazed at Diefenbaker and hoped his expression was enough to tell the dolphin how much he would miss him. Then he turned and swam away without looking back. What use would it be to look back?

But he forgot how stubborn Diefenbaker could be and the dolphin stated to follow him. Benton tried to shoo him away with his hands, but the dolphin refused to go. Then Benton took to ignoring him in the hope that he would give up and turn back to the palace. However Diefenbaker obviously had other ideas and he followed Benton all the way to the harbour where the Duke's castle stood.

The sun had not yet risen when Benton arrived in the harbour. He swam around for a time, hoping to catch a glimpse of his love, but none was on the offing. Just before dawn, he swam to the dock that jutted out into harbour and pulled himself up onto the steps that lead down to the water. He took the bottle and removed the stopper, looked at its contents then at Diefenbaker who was swimming agitated circles near to where he sat.

This is what I want more than anything, Benton thought, and then he put the bottle to his lips and drank the liquid down.

Suddenly it seemed like a doubled-edge sword had passed through his body. The bottle smashed against the stone steps as Benton fell back and hit his head. The pain that coursed through his entire body was almost too much. Indeed it was too much and even Diefenbaker's distressed cries could not rouse him as he fell into a faint.

The sun was high overhead when Benton woke from his faint. He was still lying on the dock where he had swooned and when he looked down he was surprised to see not a tail, but two long, pale legs.

"I venture out for my morning walk, only to find my self distracted by a cast away," said an amused voice.

Benton looked up to find the Duke's son smiling down at him and his breath was taken away by the beauty of him. In the sunshine his hair was the brightest gold and his eyes were so very blue. Suddenly Benton was very aware of his nakedness and he tried to cover himself. Duke's son smiled and laughed at this show of modesty, then offered him his cloak and a hand to help him up. Rising to his feet, Benton was not prepared for the pain that made him feel as though he were waling on broken glass. His eyes watered, but that was the only indication of his discomfort as he had no voice to make it known.

"Who are you?" the Duke's son asked. Benton hung his head, ashamed at his inability to answer. After a while the Duke's son said, "It is no matter. You are a mystery, washed ashore for me alone, and I will treasure you as such. I am Stanley Raymond, Lord Kowalski, but my closest companions call me 'Ray'. I hope that you to will refer to me as such in your thoughts."

Benton nodded and rewarded Ray with a timid smile, because he could not have imagined that he would ever have been offered such a gift of friendship.

Servants were summoned to take Benton into the castle where he was bathed and dressed in robes of silk and muslin. Ray sat with him as he ate a meal of strange fruits and meats, and drank wine from a crystal goblet. When he had finished eating and was feeling drowsy from the wine and food, Ray had a cot placed at the foot of his own bed where he bade Benton to sleep, "…so that you are always near me so that I know that you are real." And even though he could not express his joy in words, and his feet pained him dreadfully every time he took a step, Benton was filled with such happiness that these small discomforts added to nothing in the end.

Spring wore into summer, and the Duke and Duchess departed for their summer residence along the coast. Ray remained behind to oversee the running of the estate, and Benton was constantly at his side. Together they explored the forests and the hills which surrounded Ray's home. Benton learned how to ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow. They climbed trees and sat side by side with their shoulders pressed together as they listened to the birds sing and watched the leaves sway in the wind, or else they explored the valleys and plains that surrounded the town and its castle.

At night there was feasting and music and dancing. Benton's feet were too tender for him to dance and it was a source of great sorrow to him that he could no longer show everyone how sweetly he could sing. But he swallowed his regret, as he knew he should, and instead he learned how to pluck a few notes on the guitar under the watchful eye of Turnbull, one of the court musicians. Soon enough Benton was able to take an active part in these festivities on his guitar, but still he missed the time when his voice was the one everyone wanted to hear.

Even though Benton's love for Ray grew with each passing day, and his joy to be at his side was constant, it did not stop him from sometimes looking back on the life he had given up. At night, when Ray and his household were all asleep, Benton would often steal quietly down to the dock where he was found and sooth his aching feet in the cool seawater. Then he would look at the stars, so bright over head and he would think of his home in the Northern Sea.

One night, when he was sitting with the water lapping at his ankles, he spied something that made his heart leap. There was Diefenbaker making his way across the harbour, with Maggie following in his wake.

"Oh brother, we have missed you so!" Maggie cried when she saw Benton on the dock. "Frobisher told me why you left, but that does not mean we are sorry that you did so."

Unable to put his joy at seeing them into words, Benton leapt into the water, fully clothed, and embraced his sister as Diefenbaker swum joyous rings around them both. After that night, Maggie and Diefenbaker would often appear to keep him company on the dock. Once he was certain that he saw Frobisher and his grandmother watching them from a distance, although they did not venture near the land. These visits helped to lift the heavy burden from his heart and made his new life in this strange and alien place that little more bearable.

However by midsummer's eve, while it was clear that Benton's love for Ray was as constant as the dawn, he did not know how Ray felt for him. Although Ray never hesitated to tell Benton how much he appreciated his company and his friendship, nothing more than simple affection seemed to exist between them. Then one night, when the heat was heavy and close and Benton longed more than ever for the cold depths of his home, he opened his eyes to find Ray crouching beside his cot.

"You are so precious to me," Ray said and touched his cheek. "I wish you could tell me how you feel."

But Benton could not tell him with words because he had no words to offer. Instead he covered Ray's hand with his own and drew the Duke's son down onto the cot with him. And there he was finally able to show Ray just what he meant to him, with action and deed rather than word and metaphor. Much later as they lay together, happy and satiated, Ray told him of the time he nearly drowned and how he would always remember the blue, blue eyes of the person who rescued him from death. Trembling with emotion, Benton squeezed his eyes shut and thought, I have his love; I have his love and happiness is mine.

But even though Ray was happy to share his bed and kept Benton close to his side, he never said the actual words that professed his love. And as summer began to fade, Benton could not help but worry that without the words being said, his hopes for an immortal soul might never come about.

"You must not lose hope," Maggie said the next time they met. "For without hope we are nothing, brother. Please, Benton, remember that you always have hope."

When the leaves began to turn and the fruit hung low and ripe on the apple trees, the Duke returned and the household began preparations for a lavish ball. Because Ray was busy with his father, Benton spent much of this time apart from him. He helped with preparations for the ball whenever he could, but when his service was not required he would sit in a secluded part of the garden and practise his music, or swim endless laps around the harbour. Instead of riding with Ray, he rode with Vecchio, the Captain of the Guard who had become his friend, and he spent much time with Welsh, the Duke's gruff yet kind old chaplain, who told him tales and legends of the land he now called home. It was only at night when he lay beside Ray, one hand resting over the other man's heart, did he feel like he was truly complete.

The morning of the ball was one of the most lovely Benton had ever known. Everyone in the castle was busy readying the rooms for the guests who would arrive later that day, and Benton barely saw Ray the whole time. In the afternoon he practised the song he would play with Turnbull at the ball, and took a refreshing swim in the harbour before he changed into the fine new clothes he had been given for the event. Once he had donned his finery, he looked at himself in the mirror, and he wondered what Ray would think when he saw him. Would his face light up the way it always did when Benton walked into a room? He hoped so with all his heart.

The great hall was already filling with people when Benton came down the stairs. Before he reached the bottom, he paused and looked about the room for Ray, smiling when he saw him talking to a group of people near the back.

Ray saw him and gestured him over. "Ah, there you are!" he called out as Benton drew near. "Come and meet my most honoured guests."

Presently Benton was introduced to a tall, reserved man and his small, pretty wife. Then Ray reached out his hand and drew a lovely young girl toward him.

"Oh Benton," Ray exclaimed, all smiles and sparkling eyes. "You will never believe it, but this is she. The one who saved my life! I looked into her eyes and I knew who she was in an instant. She is to be my bride, Benton, and we will be so happy."

The girl blushed and dropped her head. She was very pretty indeed, with long blonde hair pulled into an elaborate braid and wide blue eyes. With a breaking heart, Benton realised that she was the girl who had found Ray on the beach that morning. She was the one who summoned help and held him until the others came.

The girl offered her hand to Benton. "My name is Stella," she said in a soft, musical voice. "Raymond tells me you are his dearest friend."

Benton took her hand and kissed it, but he could not bear to meet her eyes.

It should have been a magical night, but for Benton, nothing could disguise the fact that his heart had been torn in two. In the morning he would become nothing more than foam on the shore and all his endeavors had come to naught. He went through the motions of toasting the happy couple and when the time came to perform his song with Turnbull, he played with all the skill he could muster.

After he had set aside his guitar and he was looking for some route of escape so he could be alone with his sorrow, Benton felt a hand on his arm and turned to find Ray looking at him imploringly. Ray drew him to a quiet alcove where they stood, Benton with his head bowed low and Ray still clutching his sleeve.

"You must understand," Ray said desperately. "My father's health is failing and I will soon become Duke. I cannot manage the estate without a consort and I must produce an heir to ensure my family name is continued." Ray's fingers dug into his arm. "Please tell me you understand?" he implored.

Benton didn't understand and he could not express how this had wounded him.

"You are so very dear to me," Ray whispered, touching his cheek. "But I must do the right thing by my family. And she saved my life, and for that I cannot help but love her."

A voice beckoned Ray back to the party and he left Benton with one final, stricken glance. Benton watch as Ray was absorbed into the laughter and gaiety, before he turned and fled from the castle and all that reminded him of his heartache. He made his way to the place where he felt most at home; the dock by the sea, where he tore off his fine tunic and threw away the boots that pained him so.

I will sit and wait for sunrise, he decided. That is all I can do now, for nothing can prevent my death.

He looked toward the east, waiting for the first blush of dawn. Then a disturbance on the water caught his eye. It was Diefenbaker, he realised, and Maggie, moving rapidly toward him.

"Brother," Maggie cried when they drew up to the dock. She was as pale as could be and he saw that her beautiful hair had been cropped close to her head. "I have sold my hair to Mab Thatcher, the sea witch, to obtain help for you. Here, take this dagger. Before the sun rises you must plunge to into the heart of the Duke's son. When the warm blood falls on your feet, your two legs will become one and you will be free to return to your home in the Northern Sea."

Benton looked at the dagger glittering in his hand and tired to imagine plunging it into the Ray's heart. But try as he might, the love he bore for Ray would not allow him to harm him in any way, not even if it meant he could return to the sea and live out his life beneath the waves.

He handed the dagger back to Maggie who took it with a sad little sigh. "I will leave it here, in case you change you mind," she said and placed it on the dock. Diefenbaker signalled his agreement and then with one last, forlorn sigh, they sank down beneath the waves.

Benton looked at the dagger again, and his hand twitched as if it would pick it up of its own volition. With a sudden, violent gesture he swept the dagger into the sea and sat back to await the coming of the dawn.

It was not long before the sky was tinted with the rosy hues of the approaching dawn. Benton closed his eyes lifted his face to the sky, waiting for the first touch the sun on his cheek. He waited, wondering what it would feel like to die, but when he opened his eyes again he saw the bright sun surrounded by hundreds of transparent, beautiful beings. These beings nattered at him in voices so melodious no music could replicate them and as they drew closer, he felt soft caresses on his cheeks that was like the most gentle breeze.

Suddenly Benton found that he was no longer sitting on the dock. His body had been transformed so that it resembled theirs. He was rising high into the air and away from the water.

"What is happening?" he asked, in a voice that sounded like the ones who had drawn him away.

"You are among the children of the air," answered one of them. "You have not an immortal soul, but a child of the air may earn one through their good deeds. We carry the perfume of the flowers and cool the warm air that would destroy mankind. And after we have striven to do all the good we can, we receive an immortal soul and take part in the happiness of mankind. You, Prince of the Sea, have tried to do as we do through your suffering and endurance. For this you are to be rewarded and soon you will obtain your immortal soul."

The Sea Prince lifted his eyes to the sun and felt them filling with tears. Below him he could see Ray standing on the dock with his bride, but he no longer felt any sorrow for his loss. For now he knew that he would one day reach the kingdom of heaven and that happiness would be his for all of eternity.

 

THE END


End file.
